The Withheld Gift

When creation first began,
God called Man near,
And in a golden vessel bright
He placed life’s treasures clear.

The first was Beauty,
To light the human face.
The second gift was Wisdom,
To guide him through dark space.

The third was Strength,
To challenge mountains high.
The fourth was Honor,
To lift his head toward the sky.

The fifth was Wealth,
To purchase heart’s desire.
The sixth was Pleasure,
To soothe life’s hidden fire.

Man rejoiced and gladly said,
“Lord, now I lack no part.
My life is full and perfect now,
Contentment fills my heart.”

But God, with gentle, knowing smile,
Held back one precious thing —
It was Rest, deep Peace,
The calm that heaven can bring.

“For if I grant him this as well,”
The Lord in silence thought,
“He may forget his Maker then,
In worldly triumph caught.

He’ll rest in gifts and not in Me,
In blessings he will stay;
And never seek My loving arms,
Nor walk the inward way.”

So He left a longing in his soul,
A thirst not fully stilled;
That after every height achieved,
A deeper void be filled.

When wealth no longer satisfies,
When honor fades away;
When strength grows weak and pleasure dims,
And joy forgets to stay —

Then shall he bow with weary heart,
And search for something higher;
And find that peace lives not in things,
But in the Eternal Fire.

Thus by this gentle, unseen cord
God draws the human soul —
Like a pulley lifting upward,
Toward Heaven’s hidden goal.

Man may rise in worldly gain,
May conquer, build, and strive;
Yet through his restless heart’s desire,
God keeps his love alive.